Save money and fuel with these economical driving
tips from experts Hans Tholstrup and Ewan Kennedy.
Both have long histories excelling in fuel frugality
and recently drove different D-MAX models incredible
distances, each on a single tank of diesel.
Hans drove a D-MAX SX 4x2 single cab chassis with alloy
tray 1,528km from Birdsville to outer Brisbane, which
included 262km of harsh outback gravel road, for an average
of 4.698 litres/100km.
Driving the heavier D-MAX LS 4x2 crew ute, Ewan covered
1,448km from Broken Hill to Gatton in Brisbane’s Lockyer
Valley, achieving an average of 4.854 litres/100km.
Then, on the Max Run Challenge, Hans stretched a D-MAX
SX 4x2 crew ute an incredible 1,716.3km —which included
175km of harsh outback gravel—from North Queensland’s
Gulf Country to 24km beyond Innamincka in South Australia,
averaging just 4.428 litres/100km. This is the economy
of an electric-petrol hybrid or a small diesel car, not a 1750kg,
one tonne, five-seat open-top ute with three litres of turbodiesel torque.
Please note: All these amazing results were achieved by driving for maximum economy
at slower than posted speed limits over mostly low-traffic roads. The aim was to set
benchmark best figures and demonstrate D-MAX’s superior fuel economy.
Normal economical driving in dense metro traffic areas will nearly double these figures,
but by using the following tips and techniques, you can achieve close to the ADR 81/01-2
figures for various models, and sometimes even go better.
Before you GO
01
Lighten up!
Weight is the enemy of economy. Free your
vehicle of anything you’re not using on the day.
Utes with their big cargo areas are especially
prone to lugging unnecessary sports gear,
strollers, etc. As are 4WDs with camping
and recovery gear, second spare wheels,
extra lights, roo bars, big aerials and
fishing rod holders.
02
Rack off!
Roof racks, bike racks and any other types
of roof fitting will increase fuel consumption,
especially at highway speeds. Take them off
if you’re not using them.
03
Spit and polish
Clean, shiny vehicles use less fuel!
That’s probably got a lot do with a careful,
conscientious driver attitude, but carrying
around a load of caked mud underneath
will add to the fuel bill, so hose it off
as soon as possible.
04
Service
Keep your vehicle serviced strictly by the book.
Authorised dealers are best equipped to do
this as they have all the tools, equipment
and software specific to your vehicle. In the
long run, a good service history will reward
you with extra reliability, fuel efficiency and
cash at trade in time.
05
Don’t drive!
If you can walk, cycle, bus, train or tram
your trip, it’s a sure-fire way to save fuel!
06
Car-pool
If you’ve got a regular commute route,
try sharing a ride with others. Check up on
pooling etiquette beforehand, so you know the
score when it comes to issues like punctuality,
protocols about cost sharing and personal
in-car habits.
07
Learn your route
Drive a regular route every day? Learn the
tricky bits that’ll help you keep flowing, like
traffic light sequences and durations, and
knowing which lane to be in. Buy an e-pass
so you don’t have to stop at any toll gates.
08
Decide destination and directions
Find your destination and the best route to
it before you leave. Grappling with a street
directory, map or sat nav while driving is
highly distracting and damaging to good
fuel economy. Driving around looking for
the right roads raises stress and fuel use.
09
One Stop shop
If you have to drive to shop, do as much as you
can in one go. Keep a running shopping list at
home and add to it as you think of things you
need so that when you shop, you get all you
need and no follow-up drives are required.
10
Plan your pickups
If you’ve got to pick up something, do it on
the way home or when you’re out driving for
some other reason. It saves taking the car out
a second time.
11
Avoid short trips
You use 20% more fuel driving when your
engine is cold.
12
Use the right fuel
Use the recommended octane petrol or cetane
diesel (including Alpine Mix diesel for cold
climes). A higher grade may cost more but
the extra distance it’s likely to carry you
may cancel this out. And the engine will
love you for it!
13
High pressure driving
Run tyres at the highest end of recommended
pressures*, especially for highway speeds.
This also sharpens steering response and
handling and lengthens tyre life, at a slight
cost to ride comfort with the firmer ride,
especially over poor surfaces.
*Refer to your vehicle’s tyre pressure plaque, usually found
on the driver’s door trim or door shut body work area.
14
Windows up
Windows down is an alternative to air
conditioning at low speed. Above about
50 km/h open windows create so much
turbulence and drag they waste more
energy than air conditioning.
15
LET’s GO
Modern engines don’t need warming up unless
the weather’s extremely cold. Get in, buckle
up, check the traffic, then start the engine
and drive off immediately. Accelerate extra
gently until the temp gauge needle
starts moving off cold.
16
Smooth saver
Always accelerate smoothly and moderately,
with a light throttle. Select higher gears
early rather than revving out in a lower gear,
but don’t labour the engine. If you drive
an automatic, choose ‘economy’ mode,
if available, for the same advantage.
17
Concentrate
Two hands on the wheel in 10-to-2 or
quarter-to-3 positions, eyes on the road
and total focus on the driving task. Mobile
phone chat severely compromises driving standards and fuel
economy because concentration is split. Dealing with traffic
and/or road conditions is too complex and unpredictable
for divided attention. Don’t call while driving and cut short
incoming calls or pull over safely to answer. Text messaging
is even more detrimental for obvious reasons.
18
Look ahead
Always read the road some distance ahead.
Maintain space to the car in front and
anticipate what will happen next, including
traffic light changes and the movements of
other vehicles or pedestrians. You can then
maintain a consistent speed and reduce the
need to stop and start, which guzzles fuel.
If you see a hill ahead, accelerate gently
before getting to it, then trade off some
of that extra speed to save fuel on the
incline. If you see traffic slowing or
a red light, back off immediately. If
you’re likely to be stopped for 30 seconds
or more, turn off the engine.
19
Cruise control
Only use it on the flat. It can’t anticipate
hills and reacts too late, using more fuel to
maintain speed. And once a hill is climbed,
it often backs off too late, overspeeding and
wasting more fuel. However, on flat stretches
in built-up areas, if traffic isn’t too heavy, it’s
a good way to stop you from being drawn into
competing with other drivers.
20
NEUTRAL NUANCES
Don’t select neutral going downhill (it’s very
dangerous) – or when slowing until you’re
close to stall speed. Hi-tech engines like in
the D-MAX use no fuel when in gear without
throttle, but use some as soon as neutral is
selected, or the clutch is depressed. At idle in
a manual, select neutral and release the clutch
pedal. Don’t ride the clutch, especially facing
uphill, and use the brakes to hold the car.
21
Cool it!
Keep your cool! A tense driver is a bad
driver, hiking fuel use and crash risk. If you’re
getting cranky with other drivers – even if it’s
justified – take a few deep breaths and settle
down again. That insurance excess payment
would buy a lot of fuel. Road ragers can’t be
reasoned with so don’t try, it’s dangerous.
22
Speed sucks
Fuel, that is. As well as increasing fines and
crash risks, driving over the speed limit
on the open road markedly increases fuel
consumption. Highway driving at 100km/h
instead of 110km/h can save around 13%
off your fuel bill or get you close to 100km
further on a full tank, depending on the
vehicle and conditions. Around town,
stay close to the speed limit to save
around 10% fuel. Keep left on
multi-lane roads, watch your
mirrors and don’t get annoyed
by others cutting in front
of you, because they will!
23
No doze
Australia’s low highway traffic density,
tight speed limits and generally benign
weather conditions can lead to boredom,
fatigue and lapses in concentration. Focusing
on bettering your fuel economy is one way
to stay alert. But if you’re tired, there’s only
one fix: sleep. Pull over safely, recline your
seat and power-nap for at least 20 minutes.
24
Air conditioning
If you don’t need it, turn it off. When needed,
set a sensible middling temperature like 22°C
in summer, not 16°C. Mild weather driving often
only needs the heater, not A/C. Potential fuel
savings can be as high as 10% if the A/C is off.
25
Other ancillaries
Window demisters, fans, fog lights, reading
lights, or anything else electrical, increases
load on the alternator, drag on the engine
and fuel use. Switch them off when they’re
not needed. The same applies to using 12-volt
power outlets for phone re-charging, games
and DVD players.
Calculate your fuel economy
Follow these simple steps:
• Wait till the fuel gauge needle drops to an easily visible
mark just before you’re due to fill up. This could be at the
top of the ‘E’ or the next mark above if you’re worried
about running out of fuel, or when the low fuel light first
comes on. Take the reading on a flat road.
• When you fill up, keep track of how many litres you buy,
easily done by keeping the fuel receipt in your car. You don’t
have to fill the tank completely, but if you do, make sure you
don’t over fill it – just until the pump clicks off the first
or second time.
• Reset the trip meter before you drive off. Drive as you
normally would. When the fuel gauge needle comes back to
the same point as in the first step or the fuel light appears,
go and refuel as before – preferably from the same bowser
as before, and note the trip odometer reading.
• Divide the number of litres you refill with by the trip
odometer figure divided by 100. For example, if the trip
odometer reads 827km, divide litres bought by 8.27 =
litres per 100km.
To monitor your fuel economy more precisely, repeat the above
every time you refuel.
isuzuute.com.au
©Copyright Isuzu UTE Australia 2009. Isuzu UTE Australia reserves the right, without notice, or obligation,
to change content. Reproduction in a whole or in part without written permission is strictly prohibited.
Information provided in this brochure was believed correct at the time of printing.